ACES Urges Autism Services Industry to Pay Greater Attention to Family Satisfaction

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACES 2020 LLC (ACES) today released a report emphasizing the importance of family satisfaction in the delivery of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children with autism.

“We believe that providing effective, appealing therapy to children is necessary but not adequate to excel in this field,” said Ashley Drag, ACES’ senior vice president of clinical services and innovation. “Families are a crucial support system, so their engagement and satisfaction also should be taken into account. We believe that’s one characteristic of the highest-quality ABA provider.”

ACES launched a quarterly satisfaction survey in 2022 and 2,114 families have participated to date. ACES has used it to fine-tune its service delivery methods and to ameliorate parent anxiety around seeking services.

“The survey revealed that one factor stressing parents was the delay between requesting services and getting insurance company approval,” Drag said. “We used this insight to invest in tools for keeping in touch with applicants, reassuring them that their patience will pay off when their child is enrolled in high-quality ABA therapy.”

Other findings are that parents whose children attend ACES Learning Centers expressed somewhat higher satisfaction than those being served at home; and parents supplementing in-person delivery with online sessions expressed higher satisfaction than those using in-person services alone.

“This knowledge helps us know where to deploy resources to create the best experience for children and their families,” said Abby Zern, ACES’ director of population health.

ACES clinical model is grounded in a humanistic approach that helps clients generalize skills across settings. ACES was founded in 1996 by a California special education teacher who designed a neuro-friendly classroom and soon began showing parents how to make similar modifications at home. The company now operates in nine states, providing service in clients’ homes and schools, as well as in clinics called ACES Learning Centers.

The report, “The Critical Role of Client Satisfaction in the Autism Services Industry,” is available from ACES at https://www.acesaba.com/clinical-reports/.

About ACES

ACES is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families impacted with autism or other special needs. Founded in 1996 by Kristin Farmer, ACES provides comprehensive, professional services to maximize individuals’ potential in the clinic, home, school and community using accepted teaching and ABA therapeutic methodologies, with a long track record of outcomes. ACES operates in more than 85 markets in nine states, serving thousands of clients in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Washington. Learn more at https://www.acesaba.com/.